Week 52 : Ticking boxes

Post 376

24/12

The rustle of tinsel and the clang of baubles masked the Couldabeens carbon chorale exiting the carpark Saturday morning, a jovial bunch of AvantiMat, Boof, Car+Mel, Shorty, BigMat, Rocket, Cougar, Popgun, PistolPete, Jase, Temple, Cate, TatPaul, TatMat, The Godfather, Bruce, BassoDave, Wozza, Fisky, Lenny, Nick, TrekTrev, WhisperingJack and Trav in festive spirit for Saturday's circuit.  The God of cycling favoured us with a mild 16 degrees, no wind and a curtain of cloud to shield us from the rising sun, providing enthusiasm for plenty of pace.  Korn's "Jingle Balls" clashed with Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" so my alternative carols made way for BigMat's traditional ones, instead absorbing Rockets Christmas lit helmet, Pistols engineered tree, The Godfathers elf hat and Jase's Yuletide tie as ducks aplenty at the S bend forced a brief slow.

Nev and Weapon were found at the Fig Farm as I struggled to headcount two long lines spearing north (numbers needed to get the roll call right). The piggery was particularly pungent in Old Dookie Rd, would we recall that crunching the crackling during the Christmas lunch?  Great to have BassoDave aboard (what a year he's had!), TatMat back for more and Fisky now braving a turn at the helm.  Trav's clanging baubles broke free in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd (no octave change to his voice) and Pistols tree was suffering aero distress but the carols played and the fairy lights flashed to greet Tommygun at the Boundary Rd intersection.  Now 29 strong, the bunch bored into Ford Rd, the progression predicting I'd be at the business end following Rocket and Boof in Wanganui.  A short turn suited me well as the pace was poured on to DECA, several diving for left line cover as the front went Indian file.  Temple ushered me across to the up line as the Wanganui hill drew near, in no time I'd been promoted to fifth up the hill, only to see Boof bolt for line honours.  SpinDoctor and TrackStan had shortcut their chase to catch us in town, back to base camp bunch careers, sprinting and inner demons captivated conversation over bubbly (thanks AvantiMat) and breakfast in the bonds of buddyism. 

26/12

Wozza's call for a quiet tap on Boxing Day was the remedy to trim yesterdays Christmas pudding overload, down to the start line finding Temple, Boof, AvantiMat and Lenny with similar intentions to remove the Yuletide ballast.  A muggy 22 degrees and a warm northeaster would play the part of a sweat sauna on Channel Rd, ChrisA joining us from his westbound solo.  The greed for speed pumped up the cardiac festivities, berthed between Wozza and ChrisA would certainly reverse yesterday's gastronomic gluttony.  Warmth and the wind behind put the velocity into the forties for River Rd, driving at the business end for 3 k's was eroding my enthusiasm to tackle Decembers Grand Fondo with a 60 solo as dessert.  Committing myself to the caboose at Dave's dip (as did AvantiMat) to preserve what wattage was left, the northeaster gradually strengthening would take a toll later.  Rounding Roubaix, Wozza's tail-light went OTA, I was first to retrieve it if only to catch my breath for the compulsory thrash  in Conrod straight.  ChrisA and Boof went wheel to wheel to the line as the others held station in survival, tempting as coffee and chat was back in town, I bid adieu to continue a toaster lap (halting now would guarantee a surrender from tapping a ton) 

The warming northeaster tested my resolve in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd to carry on to the quarry, catching and passing a compact Cat collective (curtailed by Christmas custard?) giving some inspiration.  A banana in the tank helped psychologically as the wind wound up the heart rate, Boral's Alp's du gravel a welcome sight for the turn south then west back to the Pine Lodge church, a load off the lungs and the laterus longus to have the hot air at my back instead of the brow.  Small bunches and soloists were making appearances (for similar reasons of reduction?), MachineSteve, Tina, Trudy and co catching me at the Pine Lodge pub.  Seasons salutations swapped, they cranked into the distance, Rule #19 applied and I had an urge to finish the ton under my own (diminishing) steam (read Rule #10 referring to the Gorilla!)   The old Boundary-Mitchell route gave me variety, a small Adams family clan frowning eastbound gave me a chuckle but the clouds had raised, the sun started to toast and the wind shifted to NNE ; why should I get it easy for the last leg home!  Distance and effort was stressing the sit site, a shift, a stretch, a cog swap, a different hand hold offering short term relief.  Raftery Rd whittled down the wattage, hot gusts of 30 made 30 almost impossible (shut up legs!)   Conrod's end, clocking the ton at the lake, the last GrandFondo for 2016 and a self promised Lemontree breakfast broke finishing into bite-sized chunks, the legs and enthusiasm empty, reflected in Strava's suffer score of 278.

27/12

The third bite of breakfast opened the heavens on Tuesday morning, a clean bike wasn't going to be soiled so I opened the invite for a midday loop of Karramomus.   Temple, Rocket and Jase (also on annual leave) fronted, the Channel Rd exit of town into an easterly, instantly converting us Indian file to share the workload.  

Nudging a humid 30 degrees had a sauna-like effect , second wheel to Jase was a tough act to follow but catching Rockets knots as I peeled off the front got me off the seat and off the h.r. scale. 24 km/h of wind messed with the Mavics in Boundary Rd, taking the helm from one tree dam to the main eastern channel had me toasted both sides, getting into the tow on Shepp-Euroa Rd a big ask. Temple had a brief holiday from the helm as the breeze up the bum propelled us along Karramomus Rd, turning north into Central Kialla Rd turned up the hairdrier to the right shoulder.  Jase bore the brunt as traffic forward and aft held our stations, Temple back in business pedalled possessed.  On the front for the drive to Mitchell Rd burned my vastus medialis , four sighs of relief as we headed west toward Raftery. There was a whisker of cover in the shadows of trees at Arcadia Downs, Rocket the salvation of shelter in Conrod straight.  Iced coffee at Degani's soothed the soreness as bandanas, pools and Cobbles crashes captured the conversation.


28/12

A fickle forecast and a few planned days away limited opportunities to tick the December Strava box, so Wednesday was the wispy window of opportunity to clock the last of 1250 k's.  Prologues have been de rigueur during the year, just one more (golf course-Wanganui-Grahamvale and return)  to tip the Strava scales en-route to the Couldabeens collective.  Grumpy, Pelly, BamBam, SuperMario, AvantiTrev, Nick, Pistol, Cougar, Cate, Jase, Rene, Nicholas, Rocket, Bruce, Wozza, Nev and TatMat crammed the carpark.  26 degrees and a hot northeaster was a tropical test, the anti-clockwise route would tax us from Mitchell St onward. 

 

Getting in for an early shift at the front (behind Bruce and ahead of Cate) was the tactic least likely to tax, Nicholas spinning the 21 cog to make fluffy white peaks, Wozza the picture of poised pace in stark contrast.   My gradual demotion down the left line viewed the lambs off to slaughter in the right line, 5 k scrubbed off the cruising speed as AvantiTrev, SuperMario and Nick made it to the drivers seat.  BamBam and Grumpy drew Boundary Rd's headwind short straw, I'd fluked a tow to Channel Rd before duty called with a tail wind.  Bruce played fair at forty to the S bends, next up Cate matched the muscle power. Rocket, Pistol and Wozza turned up the wick as we swung into Kinder corner, Nicholas champing at the bit, ducking and diving for a sprint sit to the detriment of those in line behind.  I was fast running out of fast at Prentice Rd, Pistol's wheel my safety net to finish in the first handful.  Social speak was possible when breath was caught at the school, a few sentences swapped before an exit stage right to satisfy Strava (and the OCD in Foss)  30k's was craved to cross December off the scoreboard, a Cat lap (headwind out, tailwind home) figured to be a fitting finale.  Sick of the slog by School Rd, the sight of a bike swinging south into Boundary summoned some speed.  Caught at the fig farm, the intro to out-of-towner Jarrod drew several similarities (aside from age and bike.)   Company alongside for the roll from pub to punch-up bridge, legs lamented the last few k's as we turned into the northeaster, from Galbraiths to the lake the legs slowly turned to jelly.  With the months target hit, the Lemontree's espresso and eggs was enough esteem for the effort, goal setting for 2017 left till later. 

29/12

5:58 at a deserted Friars and I'd almost resigned to a ride for one, when Coggo, Dipper and Phil appeared to save me from solitary.  A social roll out of town comparing Christmases soon turned single file to wrestle the northeaster.  Coggo set a speed standard at Dobsons bridge, Phil then Dipper responding to School Rd.  I set my aim in the drivers seat to reach Boundary Rd, feeling fairly fit but ignoring the memory of the last three days of effort.  Nice to get a 20 bpm bonus in Boundary to save for the next turn, reading the body language told a story of a copious culinary Christmas for Dipper and Phil, Coggo incognito with his standard steady slog.  At the front from the bridges to River Rd kept me occupied, the echelon then reversed for our way west. A puddle or two grubbied the bike, seems we'd timed our lap to avoid an earlier shower.  Half a dozen tail-lights ahead spurred on our speed in Central Kialla, muscles more motivated seeing Mr Magnet and his entourage to bolt by.  A steady rhythm and the load shared with a skilled team clocked the k's quickly in Mitchell Rd, up out of Dave's dip and on Raftery's right hander before I recovered to ponder position for Conrod straight.  Effort elevated and turns shortened to Arcadia Downs, looks like I'd get the front for the home stretch.  Squinting through sweat and driving against the northeaster, I poured all the Jellybeans from the jar toward the (fuzzy) finish, the legs abandoning ship at 300 to go. Coggo and Phil thrashed onward, Dipper and I in the exhausted yet strangely elated category to finish a solid team tap.

Week 52.    331km.            YTD 16,809